


Fauna

by soldiermom1973



Series: 1,000 years (A Reconciliation Story) [22]
Category: Mass Effect (Comics), Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect - Various Authors, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Gen, Mass Effect 2, N7 Month 2019, N7 month, Side Mission, Tarith, fauna - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:28:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21539020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soldiermom1973/pseuds/soldiermom1973
Summary: Mordin asks to go along on a ground mission to help fill some downtime.
Relationships: Female Shepard & Mordin Solus, Grunt & Female Shepard (Mass Effect)
Series: 1,000 years (A Reconciliation Story) [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1460416
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Fauna

**Author's Note:**

> For [N7 Month](https://n7month.tumblr.com/post/188450175349/n7-month-challenge) over on tumblr, this prompt was 'Fauna'.
> 
> Some Kaidan-less Allie filler here.

“Ah, Shepard, was looking for you.”

Mordin hurried to catch up with her as she walked from the mess hall to the elevator. “Well, I'm not hard to find and there are only so many places on the ship for me to hide,” she grinned.

“Didn't want to play hide and seek, Shepard,” Mordin frowned. “No time. Still have tests to run, but... need a favor.”

“Oh?” Allie asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “Does it involve injecting Joker's elbow with something again?”

“No,” Mordin shook his head and mimicked her posture. “Still getting results from that. Joker very good test subject. Was wondering about the next mission.”

“You mean to take out that comms relay on Tarith?” Allie frowned. “What about it?”

“Would like to come along,” he stated.

Allie raised an eyebrow. Mordin never asked to go on ground missions. If she tagged him, he never argued, but he never volunteered, either. Too much work to do, he'd tell her.

“Why?” she asked. “Don't you have tests to run or something? You never ask to come along.”

“Waiting for results to collate,” he hummed, tapping his finger against his bicep. “Nothing to do now but wait. Don't like downtime, need to stay busy. Tarith interesting planet with fauna that can be...” He inhaled deeply and Allie knew what was coming next.

“...problematic.” They both said at the same time.

“Didn't realize I was so predictable,” Mordin mused. “Regardless, would appreciate the opportunity to study klixen in person. Species is normally on Tuchanka but have seen reports they are here as well.”

Allie frowned, then nodded when she remembered seeing the name in EDI's planet briefing. “They breathe fire, right? And explode when they die?”

“Yes!” Mordin clapped his hands. “Fascinating creatures. No one knows how fire delivery mechanism works. Want to come along and experience the phenomenon in person. Might lead to new developments in fire suppression and improved armor!”

Allie had already decided to take Grunt along because he'd been cooped up, recovering from an injury and was starting to get antsy. They were still half a day away from the planet, so she hadn't given much thought to who the third person would be. Mordin's enthusiasm made her smile, though, so she told him she didn't have a problem with him coming along.

“As long as you don't let your fascination override the reason we're there, it's ok,” she said.

“Please,” he scoffed, “not some naive first year. Know mission parameters, aware of dangers, will make sure mission is carried out and teammates are protected.”

Allie chuckled and shook her head, not surprised her words offended the salarian, but she'd have been remiss in her duties as commander if she hadn't reminded him to stay focused on the mission, not his research.

* * *

The mission left Allie breathless in more ways than one, between running to stay out of range of the klixens' flaming breath and the sheer awe that such a thing even existed. Grunt was in his element, making up for lost time and not caring in the least that the beasts wanted to roast him alive. Allie winced every time she heard his armor-plated head make contact with one of the klixen but couldn't help but chuckle at his 'he he he' laugh when one of them blew up. Once in a while, and only when it was apparent Allie and Grunt had things under control, Mordin pulled up his omnitool and filmed the klixen breathe fire, his commentary barely discernible over the noise of the creatures blowing themselves up.

When they were back on the ship, Grunt was unhappy when Dr. Chakwas grounded him for several days so his burns could heal. He appealed to his battlemaster, but Allie just shrugged. “There are some orders, Grunt, even I have to follow. If the doc says you're grounded, you're grounded. Next time, lay off headbutting the exploding animals, ok?”

Grunt grumbled and pouted, but acknowledged her orders. Allie made her way back up to the CIC and Mordin's lab. “So, how's my favorite Scientist Salarian?” Allie teased. “Did you get enough information?”

“Oh, yes!” Mordin's eyes shone as he explained how he and EDI had been studying the vids he took to better understand the klixens' fire delivery system and how he had already put much of what he learned to use by creating a mod to help fortify everyone's armor against fire attacks. “Will be helpful against Blood Pack vorcha,” he stated, crossing his arms over his chest. “Flamethrowers problematic.”

“Yeah,” Allie winced, thinking about the numerous times she got singed by the creepy bastards. “Problematic is an understatement.”

“Thank you, Shepard, for allowing me to go,” Mordin nodded. “Good to get off ship, study new things.”

“Thanks for coming, Mordin. I'm looking forward to testing those mods,” Allie smiled. “And let me know if there are any other 'problematic fauna' you'd like to study.”

“Of course,” Mordin replied. “Always wanted to study fresh thresher maw acid.”


End file.
